Title X Family Planning Program

On February 22, 2019 the long-expected rule changes to the federal Title X family planning program were announced by the Trump/Pence administration. For more than 40 years Title X has provided federal funding to medical providers who offered family planning and other pregnancy preventive services. In an effort to appease pro-life voters, this administration is attempting to require financial and physical separation between facilities and programs that provide services funded via Title X and those providing abortions. The objective is to impose cost prohibitive measures such as: separation of entrances and exits, potential construction of separate health centers or the hiring of a second staff of doctors and nurses and administrative staff. None of these requirements contribute to the health of the patients.

In addition, the rule changes, includes the “gag” rule, which will prohibit organizations that receive this funding from discussing or referring a patient for an abortion. Nowhere else is a physician given a government mandate as to what they can and cannot discuss with their patient. This is a violation of a patient /physician relationship and the Hippocratic oath and is wrong and unethical and our foundation will proudly continue to support Planned Parenthood and their mission to provide high quality reproductive care for all.

– Written by Cheryl Olseth

For those of you unfamiliar with Title X funding, it is important to note that it was never allowed to directly fund abortion services. Similarly, the 1976 enactment of the controversial Hyde Amendment also does not cover Medicaid abortion costs outside of very narrowly defined exceptions.

For more information, watch this short video by Minnesota’s own Dr. Traxler here.

For a list of all the organizations standing behind Planned Parenthood click here.